Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences

POPLHLTH 704 - Qualitative Health Research

15 Points

Semester 1

Tāmaki

Description

Provides practical experience in the appraisal and use of qualitative methods in research in health. The development of studies from research questions through design, conduct, and analysis and interpretation of such studies are examined in detail. Students are required to prepare a portfolio examining the use of a specific methodological approach in qualitative health research.

Programme and course advice

Prerequisite: None

This advanced qualitative research methods course and students should ideally have taken a general research methods course within the previous 2-3 years. This course may be taken towards a PhD, Master of Health Sciences, BHSc (Hons) or any other Health Sciences or Public Health programmes along with an Advanced Qualitative Research course, currently taught as a special topic POPLHLTH 762. This course is often taken as a research course for Postgraduate Diploma of Health Sciences in Alcohol and Drug Studies or Mental Health (students in these programmes have a choice of POPLHLTH 701-705), especially when students are planning to continue to masters with a topic using qualitative research.

Course aims

Content outline

Rigour and qualitative research

Ethics, positionality, theoretical perspectives and reflection in qualitative research

To develop the ability to critically evaluate qualitative health research and to give students the basis for designing and conducting their own qualitative studies.

Learning outcomes

Students will learn how to:

Reflect on ethical and philosophical issues relating to using qualitative methodologies in research

Discuss development of research questions and general approaches for given topics

Identify appropriate strategies for data collection, and interpretation and analysis

Reflect on oral and written presentation of qualitative research

Critically evaluate presentation of qualitative research

Learning and teaching

The course will consist of five block teaching days between 9am-3.30pm. Attendance at all five days is required, except with medical certificate. Students are expected to arrive before 9am and remain until 3.30pm. Please arrange transport accordingly.

Campus teaching dates

This course is held at Tāmaki Campus. The lecture dates are:

Thursday 9am to 3.30pm March 8, 22, May 3 and 24

Friday 9am to 4pm May 4

Please see your timetable on SSO or Building 730 Reception noticeboard on the day for the room details.

A series of introductory readings will be provided along with additional material, all accessible by internet on CANVAS and TALIS. Students will be encouraged to make use of the internet and the library resources and to seek assistance when required from the campus librarians (an important component of this course is learning to search databases and literature appropriately).